Fire door, safety gate, and the like



H. BACKMAN.

FIRE 000R, SAFETY GATE, AND THE LIKE.

, APPLICATION man JUNE 20. 1919. 1,415,977. Patented y 16, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

YIllllllllllllll impact to which the sections the sections of such a door need started inv their open ng movement,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HERMAN BACKMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; ASSIGNOR T0 VARIETY MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS; A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FIRE DOOR, SAFETY GATE, AND THE LIKE.

I Application filed June20,

To all ZUILOHL it may concern: 1 i

Be it known that I, HERMAN BACKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, intlie county of (look andStateof Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire Doors, Safety Gates, and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and xact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. i

..My invention relates to fire doors, safety gates and the liken While my invention particularly adapted for use in connection with that class of fire doors or safety gates which comprise a pairof vertical slidingsections, which sec tions meet when the door is in closed position and move vertically away from each other in opening, I do not intend to limit the invention to such use or purpose only.

Doors of this general descriptlon are particularly adapted for use in elevator shafts. Th prior art has generally found it necessary to so counterweight theupper section in a door of this type that upon releasing the retaining means for retaining the door in open position the greater weight :of the upper section of the door will move this section downwardly and the lower section upwardly through suitable connections to close the door. This presents a considerable practical difficulty in that not only the friction of the moving parts butthe difference in weight between the two sections must be overcome by the operator in opening the door.. A further disadvantage of the prior art structures is the very Severe shock or are subjected as they are brought togetheratthe end of their closing movement. .Such. a shock or impact is not only disturbing but is injurious to th hanging of the door and the sections themselves. i i

In accordancewith the teachings of my invention I have made provision whereby be only sufficient momentum being thereafter induced toxmove the sections into full open position. In order that. the sections will not end their opening movement with a severe shock, .I have provided for checking or stopping the action of such momentum inducing means before p fi mi m m- Patented May 16, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 305,569.

the full open position of the sections is leached, the greater weight of the upper scope of my invention 1 shall describe a specific embodiment of the invention in conneetion with th accompanying drawings which form a part of the present specification.

a Figure 1 is a front elevations] view of a door of the type particularly adapted for use in connection with elevator shafts showing an embodiment of my invention .in coir nection therewith; 1

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

liigure 3 is :1 vertical sectional. view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section. i

This invention is not concernedwith. the details of construction of the door but I will give such a description of a particular form of slide door as will enable those skilled in the art to clearly understand a particular embodiment of my invention in connection therewith. i

The. form of door shown is particularly adapted for closing the usual doorways proview viding communication between an elevator shaft and the various floors of the biiiilding, although it is useful in othcrconnections. The door comprises two panel members or sections 1 and 2.1'1inning in'suitablewvertical guiding members 3 and 4. The two panel members 1- and 2 are. connected by means of rods 5 and flexible members such as chains 6. The chains 6 which are secured to blocks 7 carried by the upper panel 1 travel over sheaves 8 housed in suitable brackets 9, these brackets being mounted upon the wall 10 above the doorway closed by the panel members 1 and 2. The rods 5 to which the opposite endsofcthechains 6 are secured are adjustably connected. to

plates 11. one of "which plates is secured lower panel 2.

The latching arrangement for'the door in this particular instance comprises a disk 12 to which is secured a handle 13 whereby the disk which is pivotally mounted upon the lower panel 2 is rotated. The disk 12 has pivoted thereto arms 14 and 15, the outer ends of which arms are arranged to engage stops 16 secured to the vertical guiding membets 3 and 4 respectively, as shown in Figure 1. .A spring 17 maintains the handle 13 normally in the position shown and the arms ltand 15 in their outermost 'or projected position. When the panels 1 and 2 are brought together the arms 14: and 15 are sprung into place over the stops 16. Opening of thedoor necessitates withdrawal of the arms 14; and 15 from their engagement with the stops 16, this being accomplished by rotating the disk 12. by means of the handle 13.

It is customary to so counterweight the upper section or panel in a door of this type that when it is desired to close the door the retaining means (not shown) for maintaining the door in open position is released and the upper panel being sufiiciently counterweighted to overcome the weight of the lower panel moves downwardly, moving the lowerpanel upwardly through the rod and chain connections 5 and 6. hen the door is employed in an elevator shaft, for ex ample, tlie retaining means for maintaining the door. in open position is preferably releasedautomatically as the car leaves the floor. The door is opened by rotating the disk 12 sufiiciently to withdraw the arms 14 and 15 from their engagement with the stop members 16, the operator then moving the lower panel 2 downwardly, whereupon the upper panel 1 will be moved upwardly as hereinbefore described. It will now be apparent that in order to move the lower panel 2-downwardly sufiicient force must be exerted by the operator to overcome the weight of the upper panel 1.

In accordance with the teachings of my invention, a pair of counterweights 18 and .19 are arranged for vertical movement in guides 20 and-'21 respectively, mounted upon the 'wall adjacent the outer vertical edges of the gu dmg members 3 and 4 respectively. vTheir weight is transmitted to the lower *panel- 2vofthe. door through bolts or other suitable projecting stems 22 which engage the'upperedges of the plates 11 carried by the: opposite vertical edges of the lower panel 2.?The threaded shanks of the bolts 22' are secured in the counterweights 18 and 19 31 land pr ojecu'forwardly therefrom through suitablevertical-slots 23, provided in the front walls of the guides 20 and 21 respectively." The' counterweigh ts 18 and 19 are provided with a series or apertures 24 aligned vertically with the slots 23 provided in the front walls of the guides 20 and 21 whereby the bolts 22 may be secured in the counterweights in any desired vertical position for a purpose which will be hereinafter made apparent. The particular contour of the guides 20 and 21 and counter weights 1S and 19 is immaterial in that the counterweights might be cylindrical and the guides tubular if so desired.

Upon releasing the latching mechanism and starting the lower panel 2 in its down ward movement, the counterwcights 18 and 19 serve as supplemental weights in that they assist in overcoming the greater weight of the upper section or panel 1, giving the panels sufiicient momentum to move them to full open position.

I have observed that upon providing counterwe'ights for giving the panels sailicient momentum to move them to full open position that after suilicient force has been exerted to start the panels in their opening movement that the panels frequently end their opening movement with considerable shock or impact. This is undesirable dne not only to the noise or disturbance created, but such a shock is injurious to the hanging of the door and even the sections themselves. Accordingly I have provided stops 25 adj acent the lower open ends of the guides 20 and 21 respectively, for limiting Or stopping the downward movement of the weights 18 and 19 before the sections 1 and 2 reach full open position. The momentum of the panels or sections induced by these weights is suflicient to thereafter move the sections into full open position while the weight of the upper panelor section 1 will, upon stopping the travel or action of the counterweights 18 and 19, check the speed of the panels so that their movement will be ended without an impact. a

The proper point in the downward travel of the panel or section 2 for limiting or stopping the travel or action of the counterweights 18 and 19 is determined by the size of the. panels, the. size of the eounterweights and such friction'as might be appreciable. I have provided means whereby the point in the downward travel of the section 2 at which "theaction of the counterweights 18 tions. This is accomplished by removing" the bolts 22 and securing these bolts. in either of theo th'er various aligned apertures 24, provided in the counterweights. The amount 0t downward movement of the counterweights is regulated. or adjusted in this manner. Assume that the door is in the open position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. Upon releasing the retaining means for are highly important tion upwardly. The projecting bolts 22am engaged by the plateslll during this upward movement of the lower section 2, the momentum induced by the greater weight of the upper section being suflicient to move the sections into closed position and. the

counterweightsl8 and 19 into the position shown in full lines. The counterweights serve in this instance to check the momentum of the panels or sections l and 2 induced by the greater weight of the section 1, checking the speed of the sections so that the door will close without violence. Violent closing of such a door is not only disturbing and in jurious to the door, but is dangerous to the operator.

The feature of cushioning the movement of the door to prevent its ending its closing or opening movement with a severe shock together with the feature of providing whereby the door need be only started in its opening movement and sufficient momentum will tl'lereatter be induced to move the door into full open position, all of said means being adjustable to meet various conditions,

aspects of my invention.

While I have described my invention in connection with the details of a partimilar embodiment, I do not intend thereby to limit the invention to such details as I am aware and (iaontemplate that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the invention which :is set out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a closure comprising upper and lower sections movable vertically away from each other, coiniterweight means tending to move said "vertically movable sections toward one another, counterweight means adapted to o 'ipose the action of said first counterweight means and means adjust-ably carried by said second. counten weight means :tor bringing i means into action to oppose the action oi? said first counterweight means, the adjustability oil the means i for bringing said second counter weight means into action providing adj ustability of the point at which the checking force of said means is brought into action whereby the speed at which the door sections are brought together may be varied.

2. In combination, a vertically movable closure member, a relatively stationary guide member arranged to one side of the closure men'iber, counterweight means arranged for vertical movement in said guide member, said counterweight means having a series oi? vertically arranged stud receiving apertures, relatively fixed stop means for said counterweight; nicans, a projecting stud adapted for ctmpm-ation with either of said stud receiving apertures whereby vertical adjustment oi the stud may be had, means carried by the closure member for cooperation with said projecting stud to effect movement of the closure member and illlG (IOUIlliGlWQlQl'll} means in unison, the adj ustability oi the stud carried by said counterweight means providing adj ustal'iility oi the position, in the vertical movement of the closure member at which engagement and disengagen'ient with the projecting stud is bad whereby the speed of the closure member at the limit of its movement may be varied.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of June, 1919. HERMAN BACKMAN. 

